Draft-rigging for cars.



" A. P. PRENDERGAST 6: J. J. TATUM.

DRAFT BIGGIHG FOB CABS. nruonmn mum NOV. 21, 1907.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. P. PRENDERGAST & J. J. TATUM.

DRAFT RIGGING FOE CARS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1907.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912 2 SEBBT8-BHEET 2.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALOIS P. PRENDEB-GAST AND JOHN J. TATUM, OI BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

DRAFT-RIGGING FOR CABS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Application filed November 21, 1907. Serial No. 403,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Anols P. PRENDER- GAST and. JOHN J. TATUM, both of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft-Rigging for Cars, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification. G

This invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars, and more particularly to the construction of the draw-bar connected to the coupler mechanism and the yoke through which the said draw-bar is oonnected to the car proper. In our Patent No. 837,754, dated December 4, 1906, we have shown a construction of this character in which the draft is taken by curved engagin shoulders upon the draw-bar and yoke, an a pin is passed through the yoke and drawbar to revent the yoke from slipping later ally with relation to the bar without, however, imposing any of the draft strain upon said pin.

The present invention is designed as an improvement upon the construction shown in said patent, and has for its object to simplify the construction, reduce the number of parts, and facilitate the ready substitution of one fpart for another by the train-hands in case 0 breakage along the train line, thereby avoidin the necessity of returning the car to the s ops for repairs. These objects.

are accomplished by the elimination of the pin andby the peculiar construction of the on aging shoulders on the draw-bar and yo e respectively, whereby the lateral disengagement of the oke and the draw-bar is rendered impossible when the arts are in place, while at the same time a ordin the flexibility necessary to enable the train to pass even the sharpest curves without materially diminishing the engaging surfaces bctween the yoke and the draw-bar. Furthermore, means are provided for preventin the spread of the outer ends of the yoke an the consequent disengagement of the latter from the draw-bar, said means consisting of shoulders on the draw-bar projectin over the ends of the yoke, thereby firm y. but ilexibly holding the parts in working posi- The invention is capable of being embodied in a variety of mechanical structures, two of which, for the sake of illustrating the invention, are shown in the accompanying .2; Fig. 4 is a broken perspective illustrating another embodiment of the inventive idea; Fig. 5 is a part sectional side elevation of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a broken plan of Fig. 5.

Referring to F1 1 to 3 of the drawings, in which like re erence numerals indicate like parts, 1 is a coupler-head of any suitable or usual construction, 2 is the drawbar carryingtlrs coupler-head 1, and 3 is the yoke. The i or end of the draw-bar is provided on the upper and lower sides thereof with undercut shoulders 4, 4, struck in the arc of a circle whose axis is on that side of the shoulders lying toward the yoke. These shoulders 4, 4, form one end of slots or grooves 5, 5, whosebther ends 6, 6, are arc-shaped, being struck from the same center as the arcs of the shdulders 4, 4. Projecting over the ends 6, 6, of the grooves 5,

The projecting ends of the lugs 7, 7, are

archaped, the center of the arcs being the center from which the arcs of the shoulders 4 and 6 are struck. Each arm of the yoke 3 is proy'ided with an inwardly projecting lug 8 having undercut curved shoulders 9, and with the ends of the lugs curved or arcshaped as shown at 10. the axis of the shoulders 9 and the arcs 10 being the same as that of the undercut shoulders 4 and the shoulders 6 upon the draw-bar. The inwardly projecting lugs 8 are cut away on their ends, as shown at 11, 11, so that when the parts are assembled such cut-away portions pass under the lugs 7, 7, on the draw-bar. with the undercut shoulders 9, 9, on the yoke, en-

gagin the undercut shoulders 4, 4, on the drawar, as will be clearly understood from inspection of Fig. 2.

It will be seen that by this construction the spreading of the yoke under strains of the draft is prevented by the engagement of the ends 11 of the yoke with the lugs 7 on the draw-bar, and by the undercut construction of the shoulders 4 and 9. Furthermore, it will be ap arcnt that all of the draft strains are ta en between the shoulders 4 and 9, and that the bumpin strains will be taken up between the ends of the yoke 11 and the shoulders 6 and the ends of the lug 7 and the shoulders formed by the cut-away ortions 11 on the yoke. It will furthermore )e apparent that while it is rendered impossible for the yoke and the draw-bar to become separated, there is nevertheless perfect flexibility of the parts, since the passage of the train around curves is readily permitted by the arc-shaped shoulders, while the extent of the engaging surfaces when the train is goin around a curve is only very slightly re uced over that obtained when the train is on a straight track. This latter will be readily appreciated by an inspection of Fig. 3, in which full lines indicate the relative positions of the draw-bar and the oke on a straight track, and the dotted lines the positions assumed when passing around a curve. The disengagement of the yoke -from the draw-bar when the parts are in position upon the car is prevented by the engagement of the draw-bar and yoke with the sill and other parts of the framework of the car.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, there is therein shown an embodiment of the invention in which the axis of the arc-shaped shoulders of the yoke and the draw-bar lies toward the coupler end of the draw-bar from said shoulders, instead of toward the closed end of the yoke, as is the case in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. In this embodiment of the invention, 4, 4 indicate the arc-shaped shoulders on the draw-bar and 9, 9 indicate corresponding areshaped undercut shoulders on inward y projectm lugs 8, 8 'on' the ends of the yoke, while 7' indicate the rojecting lugs on the drawbar engaging t e cut-away ends 11, 11' of the ends of the yoke, said cutaway ends being in the form of concave areshaped shoulders 10, 10' engaging correspondin' convex arc-shaped shoulders 6, 6 on the raw-bar.

In both of the embodiments illustrated is secured, though this is not essential, since if desired, the lugs 7 may project outward beyond the surface of the yoke, or the surface of the yoke Ina project outward beyond the surface of the ugs.

It will be readily perceived that no highly skilled labor is required to disengage the yoke from the draw-bar and to substitute a new yoke or draw-bar, as the conditions may require. Furthermore, it will be perceived that the cost of manufacture is reduced to the minimum, since the entire structure is composed of but two parts, and that the labor of forming these parts is of a simple character. Furthermore, the entire structure is one of great strength and well calculated to sustain the necessary strains to which such parts are subjected, while at the same time avoiding breakages due to shearing of pins or rivets such as are liable to occur in structures heretofore em loyed. The strength of the parts is materially enhanced by the absence of any perforations for pins or rivets, and the cost of construction is also reduced by the lack of the necessity of forming such perforations and of supplying the pins or rivets heretofore employed, and all this is obtained while at the same time securing perfect flexibility of the parts and their certainty of engagement at all times when in position on the car.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a drift rigging for cars, the combination of a draw-bar having a groove formed in the upiper and lower faces thereof, the walls of em grooves being arc-shaped and also havinga lug projecting over one end of each of said grooves, the ends of said lugs being arc-sha ed, with a yoke havin arcshaped shoul ers engaging the arc-shaped walls of said grooves and other arc-shaped shoulders enga in the arc-shaped ends of said lugs, all 0 said arcs being struck from a common center located between said arcs and the closed end of said yoke.

2. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination of a draw-bar having a groove formed in the upper and lower faces thereof, the end walls of said grooves being arc-shaped, and also having a lug projecting over one end of each of said grooves, the ends of said lugs bein arc-sha ed, with a yoke having arc-shaped shouldiirs engaging the areshaped walls of said grooves, and other areshaped shoulders engaging the arc-shaped ends of said lugs, all of said arcs being struck from a common center located outside of said arcs.

3. In a draft riggin for cars, the combination of a drawar liaving on each of its upper and lower sides two arc-shaped endt rust-receiving shoulders lying in different vertical and horizontal planes and an undercut draft-receiving arc-shaped shoulder, all of said arcs being struck from a common center outside of said arcs, with a non-perfothe 'dreW-bar.

In testimony whereof We have signed this specification m the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALOIS P. PRENDERGAST. J OHN J. TATUM. Witnesses:

D. ABDIN CARRIGK, GEO. W. CARRICK. 

